The Paradise Experiment
by Laedeydra
Summary: James T Kirk, Spock and Leonard McCoy are abducted by unknown aliens. With no memory of their previous lives, Spocks logic gone, and living in paradise with no desire to leave, will they ever see the Enterprise again?
1. Body Language

**James T Kirk**

I let myself drop the shield of command as the door closed behind me. I stripped, letting my clothes fall to the floor carelessly as I made my way across the room. Turning on the water, I let the heat of the shower flush the worries of the day down the drain. It had been a long, tiresome week, and the crew, including myself could use a well-earned break.

Deep space was taking a toll on us, and at the next available opportunity, I would order shore leave.

My lips curled into a smile as my ears picked up the opening and shutting of the door. Shuffling following that as the welcome intruder picked up the discarded clothes after me, and added his own to the pile in the laundry basket.

I closed my eyes as I dared to turn up the heat and let the hot water run over my face, washing away the built up grime and dirt as it warmed and relaxed me. A hand smoothed over the thick muscles of my chest as he joined me in the shower and pressed his body against my back.

"I was beginning to think you weren't coming" I exasperated as I let his hands envelope me; running them up and down my torso as he explored my flesh.

"I was needed on the bridge longer than I'd anticipated" He mumbled against my neck as he pressed his lips to the sensitive skin there. His throat released a pleasant growl as I turned to face him directly.

Outside this room, his persona was masked by logic and reason, hiding the essence of his being and acting like a shield; protecting him from the exterior world. But in here, with me, in the safe confines of our quarters, his mask dropped. And I got to connect with the raw Vulcan in him no one else was ever privileged enough to bear witness to.

I leaned forward and ran the tip of my nose down the side of his neck, breathing in his unique scent as I went. Stopping at his collar bone, I pulled back and let my eyes wander over his sturdy form; taking in the sight of his perfect, damp skin and watching as water droplets seemed to make it glisten as they dripped down each crevice.

He growled as I clasped his jaw with my fingers and pressed my lips to his; my free hand pulling him in close as our bodies grazed and pressed against each other. Friction building as he ran his tongue roughly against my own. I struggled to keep my breath at an even pace; my blood began to boil as the heat of the shower mixed with the passion of his touch.

As ship's Captain, my life was a busy one, with little to no time for the more pleasurable things in life, such as indulging in one's mate. We had both been craving this moment all week, and finally it was here.

"Eager, as always" His lips smirked against mine as my flesh hardened against his.

"…Spock" I gasped as he wrapped a hand around our sensitive tissue that begged to be touched.

"Shh, don't talk" He whispered into my ear, nibbling at its rim teasingly as he raised his free hand and spread his fingers across the points of my face. I groaned as I let the meld fold over my being and connect to my core; his mind touching mine as he drew up and down our flesh with his other hand. I let my body relax against the wall of the shower, unable to hold myself up fully as he quickened his pace.

I shivered in delight as my blood pulsated with ecstasy, the gates of the bond collapsing and unveiling the essence of my being as it merged and combined with his. I gasped for air, my muscles shaking as my skin was lit on fire. He had complete control over me as his mind and body dominated my own.

He reconnected our lips as I wrapped an arm around his neck; pulling him in closer as my tongue danced with his. I let my other hand claim the rest of his flesh, as it trailed down his back; exploring every curve his lean muscles had to offer under the heat of the water.

"I want you" He rumbled; his voice deep and primal. The Vulcan that the rest of the crew knew was gone, taken over by pure instinct and desire. My heart sunk in my chest as our eyes connected; mine drilling into his as they were darkened with lust and need.

I struggled to find the knob to turn off the water but eventually found it. Spock was quick as he grabbed a towel and switched our positions. As he patted my skin gently with the soft material, I did the same back, tracing every curve and reflex of his stature till all droplets of water were soaked up. He dropped the towel and stroked his two fingers against mine, initiating the Vulcan kiss as it sent electrical shivers up my arm.

He pressed his lips to my neck, nibbling at my skin with his teeth as he led me into the other room. I stopped as the back of my legs hit the end of the bed. Pressing a hand to my chest, he roughly pushed me down onto it. I beamed as his lips connected with the smooth skin of my thigh.

Shivering impulses ran down my spine as he ran his tongue teasingly down my abdomen till he met my needing desire. Coating it in saliva, he encased it with his mouth, sending me into an abyss of intense heat and pulsations as he lapped and explored me from the inside out. But as I felt the build-up begin, he pulled back, tracing my abdomen in saliva as he made his way up my body.

"Turn over" He grasped my sides and flipped me. Spreading my limbs as I kneeled on all fours, he pressed his chest to my back; tracing the shell of my ear with his tongue as he dominated my body.

"I want a full bond with you" I moaned as he prepared the tight ring of muscle that was to join us in flesh.

"Are you sure?" He whispered seductively as he bit at my neck with his teeth.

"Yes" I struggled to reply as he marked me with my own blood "It's been over a year since our first binding, I'm ready"

He said no more as he leaned into me, both hands clasping the side of my face as he breathed deeply, opening himself fully to me as he bound us in full Vulcan fashion.

"T'hy'la; you are mine" His throat growled deeply as he joined us in flesh.

I groaned as he filled me completely, hissing as he wrapped one hand around my need and using the other to support himself, he dominated me; taking in every ounce of being I had to offer. His soul clung onto mine; grabbing and wrestling with me as he increased his pace.

My body rocked instinctually, melding with his as we lost ourselves to appetite and blinding pleasure. I lost track of my heart beat as it pulsated excitedly, my breathing absent in the moment as our essence combined in both body and soul. The room surrounding us dissolved into a warm abyss, everything in it become a void that was filled with the sounds of desire. Until finally, our minds were blown into a bottomless storm of electrical sparks as release washed over.

We collapsed to the spongy mattress underneath. My lungs out of order and heart beating so fast I thought it would erupt from my torso. I rolled onto my back, letting my muscles stretch as he rested his face against my chest and relaxed his body against mine. The mental bond between us began to calm down; I expected its gates to almost shut completely as it usually did. However, it went against its usual routine and stayed wide open, even as we both fell into the dark vacuum of sleep.

* * *

I flexed back in my chair; the command of the ship back on my shoulders as the morning wore on. However last nights' encounter was still prevalent in my mind, unable to fully block the memory with Spock standing only a few feet away. Sensing something off about his stature, I peered at him in wonder. He raised an eye brow at me; his lips giving a slight grin that only I'd pick up on. Deciding to raise the issue, I stood from my seat and approached him.

"Something wrong?" I asked discreetly.

"Captain, if you do not cease those thoughts immediately, I shall have to leave the bridge" He smirked.

The bond between us was stronger than previous days, now he was able to pick up on everything I was feeling and thinking about. I suppose if I were Vulcan I would be able to do the same back just as well, but I'm not, so for me to pick up on his, it was a little harder, but still there nevertheless.

"My apologies , I shall try to suppress them" I grinned as I walked back to my seat; tempted to see what would happen if I increased the thoughts instead of suppress them.

Despite the true nature of our relationship, it was something we hid well from the rest of the crew, and Starfleet. A romantic relationship between Captain and his First Officer was almost unacceptable and risky to the rest of the crew. One slip up or wrong move could mean death to all those on board the ship.

But Spock and I knew the risk; we vowed to each other at the very beginning that we would have two sides to our relationship; the personal, and the professional. Neither one belonged in the other, nor could they accompany the others time and space. They had to be kept separate, needed to be kept separate, or else the arrangement between us wouldn't work so long as we were aboard the Enterprise.

However after last night's bonding session, I wondered how much longer we could keep up the charade. The mission is in its second to last year, once that ends, who knows where we would end up. The ship would be refitted over the course of a long deserved shore leave, and if we were lucky, we'd all end up together again.

Starfleet would try to promote me to Admiral; it came with its own rights and privileges but it would be traded for losing command of the ship. In that case, we would drift apart, and Spock and I would be lost to the service. I didn't want that to happen, and neither did he.

Sensing my uncertainty, Spock had wandered over and stood beside me without my realising. He did not speak, but I felt the impression from him that we would think about the future when it came to that.

He discreetly placed two fingers on my temple while no one was looking and successfully pushed the thought away; locking it up in some far distant part of my mind until the time was right. Once it was gone, he then moved his fingers and placed them on mine, stroking them tenderly in the Vulcan kiss.

However the moment did not last long as the ship picked up on something ahead, and Spock was forced to return to his station.

"Captain, sensors are picking up…" Sulu seemed unsure about what he was reading "Some sort of energy field; 8.6 kilometers in diameter"

"Bring us out of warp, shields up" I immediately switched into full Captain mode, pushing any stray thought aside that didn't belong in the command chair.

"Captain, the field is surrounding us" Spock was observing from his station "It is draining our energy supply"

"Get us out of here " I ordered, though it was beginning to sound like this cloud of energy wasn't about to release us so easily.

"Controls are unresponsive sir" He announced.

I stood from my seat and walked to the con, trying to work out what the problem was exactly. But to no avail, the controls were indeed dead.

"Scotty" I called upon the Chief Engineer "What's happening down there?"

"We've lost power Captain" He sounded like he was struggling.

"Readings are off my scale captain" Spock declared from his station "The field has trapped us. It is radically draining ships systems"

"Cut off all power to non-essential Areas" I ordered across the ship.

"Jim" Spock called upon me, sensing my frustration "Even with power cut off to all non-essential areas, at the rate we are being drained, we will only have enough power to run life support systems for approximately twelve solar hours"

I looked to Spock in concern "Scotty" I called to him again "We need more power; we must get out the field!"

"Captain, if we push the engines anymore we'll lose them!" The Scotsman yelled back over the intercom. "We'll only have impulse power left"

"We have to take that risk!" I demanded back "Give it everything she's got Scotty"

"Aye sir" He gave in as he attempted to manoeuvre us out of the dense cloud.

The ship jolted, throwing it's personal around as if they were light weight.

"It's working Captain" Chekhov analysed his readings "We are exciting the field"

"The cloud is generating a massive gravitational pull Captain" Spock announced form his post "It has penetrated our shields"

At that moment, sharp pricks pierced my ears as the viewing screen began to collapse under the pressure.

"Scotty!" I shouted across the intercom.

"The controls have blown down here captain!" He yelled back; panic lining his voice "I've had to evacuate the whole of engineering! But I managed to restore control back to the bridge just in time"

"Helm control is back online captain" Sulu announced as the screen continued to crack.

"Jim" Spock pointed out as the display was on the verge of collapse.

"Everyone get out of here!" I commanded as I ran for the helm.

"But Captain you'll be sucked into space!" Chekov pointed out as the personal on the bridge began to evacuate.

"That's an order mister!" I pushed him out of the room with my voice "You too Spock"

"Jim" He approached me "Let me help"

He didn't wait for a response as he took the other side of the helm.

"Let's get out of here" I worked desperately at the controls, using everything it had to manoeuvre the ship out of the cloud. The screen continued to crack under the pressure, but before I had any more time to think, a blinding white light enveloped me; pulling me into a dark haven.

**Spock**

I watched in horror as the helm short circuited and Jim was thrown back. I had no time to think; quickly I moved the ship out of the cloud and back into normal space. We were safe, and moving away from the energy that had surrounded us, but Jim… Jim was unconscious, and the screen was still giving into the strain. I put the ship on auxiliary control and picked him up off the floor. Rushing to safety just in time as the screen gave way; sucking anything without a foothold into space.

"This is Commander Spock" I opened the intercom "The bridge has been breached; erect a force field and start repairs immediately. Sickbay"

"McCoy here" The doctor acknowledge me.

"The Captain is hurt, prepare to receive us, Spock out" I tightened my hold on him, grateful that my Vulcan strength allowed me to do so. The trip from the bridge to sickbay seemed to drag out, as I stood there almost impatiently with Jim in my arms. His skin was badly burned, stray refuse from the con had embedded itself in his torso, but he was alive, and that was the most important thing.

I knew Jim was strong, he had demonstrated that over and over again, he would make it no doubt, but to see him in such a state was… upsetting to say in the least. Finally we reached deck five; when the doors opened, the doctor and a team of medics were already standing by waiting.

"What happened?" McCoy asked as he scanned Jim on the way to sickbay. They wanted to place him on a movable platform, but I insisted on carrying him there myself.

"The helm short circuited" I responded as we entered the medical room and placed him on one of the bio beds "It exploded, however, the ship is now safe, thanks to the efficiency of its crew"

"36% of his body has been burned" The doctor analysed "He's bleeding internally, nurse Chapel, Prepare for surgery!" He quickly removed Jim's burnt uniform, or what was left of it.

Although the doctor insisted I leave the room during the operation, I insisted I wasn't going anywhere. Jim was my mate, it was my right to be at his side, even if the Chief Medical Officer didn't realise that. I sat myself down at Jim's cranium, closest to the wall so I would be out of the way. Although he was unconscious, and free from the physical pain of his wounds, I could feel them through the bond. He was hurting, and still burning as removed bits of the helm from his chest.

"Good, the bleeding has stopped" McCoy mumbled to himself as he took out the last of the residue.

"He's stabilising doctor" Nurse Chapel remarked as she observed the panel on the wall above.

Although my Vulcan half screamed to be let loose, I had to hold it back, now was not the time to be logical. With the ship and its crew out of danger, I was free to focus on the personal matter at hand; allowing my other half to peek out slightly. Jim always did have a way of bringing out the human side of me, even if I couldn't admit it to myself. He saw it, and wasn't ashamed, on the contrary, he found it fascinating, drawing him in like a moth to a flame. Only around him could I ever be my whole self. The two sides did not have to fight for dominance as he accepted them both, loved them both.

Over the year we had been together, Jim had changed me, pushed me to grow beyond that of what I expected of myself. He was my Captain, my teacher, and the love of my life, all at the same time.

"Prepare to close" McCoy announced as they did so.

A wave of relief washed over me; he had made it, he had survived, he was going to recover. As the doctor now turned his attention to the burns, his patchy black skin began to heal back into that which I kissed last night. Bit by bit, the doctor worked on him, until finally, it appeared as if the accident had never occurred.

"Spock…" Jim spoke weakly as he began to regain consciousness.

"I am here" I said comfortingly.

"How do you feel Jim?" McCoy asked as they finished and began to put their instruments away.

"The ship-" He began to fully take in where he was and remember what had happened.

"The ship and its crew are safe Captain" I reassured him "The bridge was breached but repairs are underway"

He relaxed at the news, giving me a small grin as the doctor and Nurse finished putting their equipment away.

"Now you just lie there and relax" McCoy barked before he could move "And don't be planning escape when I'm not looking"  
Jims face flattened in defeat as the doctor left him to rest.

"Spock" He began to speak, I knew he wanted to discuss more on the ship, but the doctor was right, he needed rest.

I hushed him with a look "You need sleep Jim"

He took his eyes off me to gaze at the ceiling "I suppose you're right, as usual" He gave in and relaxed his muscles.

I stood next to him and began to stroke his fingers with my own as I kissed him in the Vulcan way. He shivered under the contact; although he was human, our bonding had greatly sensitised his sense of touch; combined with my own, it was almost as attuned as a Vulcans. I keep stroking; calming him until he finally released his hold on the conscious world, and fell back asleep.

"Spock, Scotty is asking for you" McCoy stood near the panel on the wall.

I looked down once more at Jim's peaceful form before releasing a heavy sigh and turned my attention to my duties. While the Captain was recuperating, I was in command.

"Spock here"

"Mr. Spock" Came the engineers voice "The power we used to get us out of the energy field drained the dilithium crystals, they're almost dead sir. We've got enough power to keep the ship running for another week, maybe two, after that, we'll be dead in space. Unless we can find more dilithium to replace them"

"Acknowledged. Drop to impulse and save power where possible" I pondered the situation "How are the repairs on the bridge coming along?"

"We've got a force field up in place as you ordered" Scotty replied "Repairs are being done as we speak, but communications are down, sir"

"Have and scan for dilithium. Spock out" I ended the conversation and turned my attention back to the Captain. With him out of command for the next day or so, the weight of finding more dilithium would be on my shoulders.

"Spock I…"The doctor's voice trailed off "I had no idea you and Jim were-"

"Were what doctor?" I cut him off, giving him a stern look that dared him to not touch the subject.

"Well…" He seemed curious, but also hesitant "How long have the two of you been-"

"Since my last Pon Farr doctor" I cut him off again "When it was revealed to me that the Captain was still alive, the blood began to boil. Jim and I resolved the matter before it became a problem"

"A whole year Spock?" He seemed to be at a loss as to how he hadn't seen it before.

"Doctor" I spoke frankly "The Captain and I would appreciate it if you did not speak of this outside of this room. I feel it would not sit well with Starfleet should they ever find out"

"I understand" He seemed to be true to his words "I won't mention it again"

With the repairs underway and Jim asleep safe and sound in sick bay, I was free to turn my attention to the efforts of finding more dilithium. Time was passing quickly; as the bridge was fully repaired and operational once more, our attention was turned towards the search. Thanks to our efforts, a planet, only three light years away was showing promising signs of having a few pockets of dilithium under its crust.

**James T Kirk**

My strength had finally returned, I'd been in sickbay for over 12 hours, and I was ready to leave.

"Just where do you think you're going?" McCoy caught me before I could make my escape.

"Bones, I feel fine" I insisted.

He stared at me for a moment; inspecting and analysing me to make sure I was being genuine. "Well, all right; I suppose you can go, but the area where the wounds were will continue to be a bit sensitive for the next few days or so"

"I'll go straight to my quarters" I reassured him as I excited the medical bay.

The corridors were mostly quiet as the crew were settling down for the night. But I had just spent the whole day sleeping; there was no way I could go back to that now. I promptly called Scotty who filled me in on the details. We were currently heading for a plant suspected to have some deposits of dilithium. Even though it wasn't that far away, getting there on impulse only was taking a while. Communications were still down, and until we got there and found more dilithium, nothing else could be done.

As I entered the room, Spock was quietly sitting in the corner meditating; he must have been in a deep trance as he did not hear me enter the room. I walked over to him, trying not to make my presence known as I knelt in front of him and pressed my lips to his.

He promptly opened his eyes in surprise "Jim!" He exclaimed, pulling back slightly so he could say my name "The doctor has released you from sickbay?"

"On the condition that I take it easy for the next couple of days" I smiled at him "However, it'll be a while before we reach the planet. Until then, you are mine"

* * *

**So I hoped you enjoyed my new story! Updates will be slow as I don't really know where I'm going with this yet. I have a general idea, but there is much room left for debate. Anyway, please let me know what you think and I look forward to hearing your opinion :)**


	2. Preliminary Exam

**James T Kirk  
**  
"Captain, we have arrived" The helmsmen announced as we approached the planet.

"Standard orbit " I order as it appeared on screen.

"Sensors indicate several pockets of dilithium and other useful minerals Captain" Spock was leaning over the science station "It is deep under the planets crust, however sensors are picking up on several air deposits that lead down into the planet"

"Caves, " I put the information together.

"Appears so Captain" He stood and faced me "It should make it slightly easier for us to access the deposits"

"Alright" I made up my mind, turning on the intercom "Mr. Scott"

"Scott here sir" The engineer acknowledged.

"We're beaming down" I ordered "Assemble a team"

"Aye sir, Scott out" He left to do so.

"Let's go" I gestured to Spock as we left the bridge.

* * *

We were in luck; the planet was uninhabited with a mild climate, with no apparent dangers. We would be free to mine and take as much dilithium and other minerals as we wanted with no disruptions. The caves that Spock picked up on led deep under the planet's surface, once we explore it and set up teams where the dilithium pockets were, we could mine and take it back to the ship with no problems. It all seemed too easy, almost suspiciously easy, but I guess every one runs into good luck every now and again. With operations underway and everything going smoothly to plan, I could finally relax somewhat.

If we kept going the way we were, we'd be ready to continue our star charting in a matter of days. This planet would be claimed by the federation and maybe even a mining colony would be built here. Until we were back underway, there wasn't too much work left to be done.

* * *

"Lieutenant Uhura" I approached her "Any luck contacting Star Fleet?"

"None sir" She turned to me "There seems to be something blocking transmissions; I can't seem to send out anything"

"Keep trying" I encouraged her and went back to my command chair.

Something felt… off. Ever since we passed though that energy cloud a few days ago, stellar communications have been down, for no apparent reason. Without it, we couldn't communicate with anyone in the interstellar web of space.

My gut instinct was telling me something was wrong, but I couldn't place why. Exhaling in defeat with myself, I decided to call it a night, as I turned to command of the ship over to the night crew and left the bridge.

"Something wrong Jim?" Spock asked as the door to the turbo lift closed and began to move us down the ship.

"I'm not sure yet" I peered at him "I feel… odd"

"A gut feeling, as you often put it?" He raised an eye brow at me.

"I'm sure it's nothing" I tried to convince myself more than him.

"Your instincts are usually correct, Jim" Spock pointed out "As you have demonstrated on many occasions.

"Perhaps you're right" I drifted off "In any case, I hope I'm wrong; it's not a good feeling"

We reached our destination; I immediately shed my attire and collapsed to the bed; grateful for Spocks presence as he lay down beside me. Relaxing against my skin, he took my fingers in his own and began to stroke them until I lost myself to the land of dreams.

* * *

_I opened my eyes to a wide grassy field; stars gleaming above me and the glow of two bright moons pouring down upon my skin. I looked out; seeing two personages standing a few meters from me, thought it was too void of light for me to make out who they were. An eerily breeze touched my skin as I approached them; my feet shifting through the long blades of grass as I drew nearer._

_The field suddenly came to an end and dropped down a sheer cliff lined with a glistening white beach. It connecting with dark waters; spreading out into a deep ocean that lasted as far as I could see. I turned my attention back to the two personages who were standing as still as statues; their head turned up and their eyes connected to the luminescence of the two moons._

_"Spock?" I could make out his features as I stood next to him at the edge of the cliff "Bones?"_

_They turned to look at me; their faces blank as if they were emotionless._

_"Where are we?" I asked, but their lips remained still as they turned back towards the gleaming moons._

_I peered up and joined them in their gaze. The moons seemed to be nearing us as they pulled us in to their presence; their forms growing larger and larger until finally they dominated the sky and turned everything bright. They acted against the laws of physics as they began to merge; twisting and turning until they combined into one mass energy field. The same field we had stumbled into a few days past. It enveloped us, sucking us in until it swallowed us completely._

* * *

A voice was calling me from a distance "Jim, Jim, Jim!" I realised hands were shaking me awake. I turned my head to the side, my lungs inhaling sharply as I awoke from my foggy unconscious state and sat up abruptly.

"You would not wake" Spock was kneeling beside me; concern washed over his face as he studied my sweaty brow and shallow breathing "Are you alright?"  
I nodded, unable to form words as I caught my breath.

"It appears your instincts were right"

"What happened?" I was almost afraid to ask.

He hesitated for a moment "A crewman has been found dead, in one of the caves we were extracting"

"How?" I asked as I stood and began to get dressed.

"Unknown as of this moment" Spock did the same "The Doctor is waiting to beam down to the surface"

"Let's not keep him waiting then" We finished putting on our uniforms and made our way to the nearest turbo lift. The corridors were empty and dim; it was three in the morning and most of the crew were asleep. Until we established the cause of death, there was no reason to alarm them just yet. It could have been an accident for all we knew at this point.

"Jim, may I ask why it took so long for you to wake?" A hint of worry still seemed to plague my Vulcans sculpted face.

"I was… engaged in a rather strange dream" I wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Nothing more?" He seemed preoccupied with some other hidden concern.

"Something wrong?" I wondered.

"You needn't worry" He gave a heavy sigh and pressed his fingers to mine. If it were any other time he normally wouldn't dare, but the corridors were empty and he was taking full advantage of it. "I merely need to adjust to the bond"

"Ah, my apologies" I realised what the problem was as we approached the turbo lift. If I were Vulcan, he would never have to take such measures.

"Jim, do not misunderstand; I am no stranger to human emotions; if it were not for you, I would never have accepted that half of me" He explained as we entered the lift; his fingers still delicately stroking mine.

"Transporter room" I ordered as the lift began to travel down the ship.

He turned to face me "But it is still… intense and a little overwhelming at times, as I am not yet fully accustomed to them"

"And as you like to point out on numerous occasions; I am a man of deep feelings" I shuffled a little closer; my chest pressing against his "I shall try to keep my emotions contained for your sake" I leaned in and placed my lips on his "My T'hy'la" I whispered against his sensitive skin before he deepened the kiss.

**Spock**

I let my fingers run through his damp hair; undoing his effort to make it presentable in the small amount of time we had to get ready. Cupping his cheek bone, I used the motion to intensify the touch as I parted my lips slightly; his tongue sliding against my own as his breathing deepened.

He seemed more than eager to increase the physical connection but pulled back as the lift stopped and the doors proceeded to open on cue. The moment was over as we released each other and stepped out into the corridor.

As we walked into the transporter room and greeted the doctor, I snapped out of any unfocused state that wasn't concentrated on the mission at hand; instantly falling into place as the ships second in command and the responsibilities that came with it. I sensed Jim doing the same as we stepped onto the transporter pad and beamed down to the planet below.

As the caves formed before us, so did the crewmen and their equipment as they all waited for further instructions.

"In here Captain" One of them stepped forward and led us into the caves we had visited not 8 hours ago. It did not take us long to reach the place where the ensign lay dead.

As the doctor scanned his body, I proceeded to investigate the cave site; there was nothing abnormal about it, it was exactly as it was in the hours before the disturbance had occurred.

"Now this is strange" The Doctor analysed his readings "Every cell in his body has been disrupted"

"Explain" Jim knelt beside him.

"It's as if he's been hit with a high electrical charge" He further explained, though obviously he couldn't make any sense of it.

"How is that possible?" The Captain was also puzzled "According to the others, he wasn't using any equipment that could possible do this"

"it doesn't make any sense" The doctor scanned the body once more, perhaps hoping to get different readings and a better understanding of the situation.

As they continued their conversation, I went back to scanning the caves. After only a few minutes, I noticed the tricorder picking up some unusual energy readings, and what was more, it was moving towards us.

"Jim" I backed away from the wall of the cave just as a concentrated ball of energy passed through it.

"What is it?" The Captain asked as he and the Doctor came to stand by my side.

"I am uncertain" I kept scanning it, hoping to find an explanation, but the energy readings were off the scale. "I am picking up the same signatures that we read in the body. It is safe to assume that this is the energy that killed the ensign. I would advise caution"

Before we had time to act, the ball of energy began to move in on our position. We all took a step back, and then another, but it did little good as suddenly it extended itself and enveloped us, swallowing us whole in its energy as we lost consciousness.

**Montgomery Scott**

"In other words, you have no idea where they are?" I was getting rather agitated with the situation, and gross incompetence of the crew's ability to find three men that had gone missing not less than five hours ago.

"Yes sir" The lieutenant shrunk back under the pressure.

"Sir" A woman approached me from behind "Further scans indicate some sort of mass energy signature; we've found the same signature in the body of the ensign and it's all over the cave"

"A mass energy you say" I scratched at my brain, searching for answers.

"Sir, as unfortunate as it is" Her face soured "We must also look at the possibility that The Captain, , and Doctor McCoy were vaporized, in which case, we will never find them"

That was an answer I did not want to accept, but everything was pointing towards it. "And the ship?"

"Ship operations have been fully restored" She confirmed as she handed me a PADD with the finer details.

"And communications?" I scanned it; everything was as it should be, apart from the missing men.

"I have Starfleet on channel 3 awaiting your report"

"At least some one around here knows how to do their job" I wiped my brow "Thank you lass"

**Spock**

My body shivered with the cold that surrounded me. I tried to move my hands but found I couldn't; they were bound with a metal strap connected to the surface underneath me. I was encased in darkness, strapped to a hard vertical surface and unable to determine where I was or how I got here.

I had been trapped in very convincing illusions before, but my senses were telling me this was too real to be a dream, a hard reality that was becoming all too real. I attempted to peer at my surroundings as I assessed the situation but found it too dark to see anything. Slowly my eyes adjusted to the vacant depth of the room, the little light available straining my eyes as I noticed I wasn't the only one being held captive in this strange environment.

"Doctor?" I tried to stir him, though it seemed as if he was still out to the world. He was in the same position as me; strapped down to a hard surface. If he was here, who else was also?

"Leonard!" I raised my voice a little higher in hopes it would wake him; it did.

"Spock?" The chief medical officer of the enterprise began to wake from the induced sleep. "Where are we?" He began to grumble to himself in his usual mannerism as he tested the strength of his bounds.

"I don't know" I admitted "I only just regained consciousness myself"

"Where ever we are" The doctor examined the surroundings "We're defiantly no longer in the caves"

Although the absence of light made it difficult to see, I could partially make out some of the features around us. Or rather, lack of. The room was empty, apart from a small cabinet that sat in the corner; it was filled with many objects, tools perhaps, scattered over several levels. None of which were recognisable to either of us; they were strange, unlike anything we had back on the Enterprise. I also noticed we had been stripped of our regular clothing; our uniforms being traded for simpler black garments.

"We seem to be in some sort of…." My voice trailed off as I tried to make sense of it "Alien laboratory"

"The real question is" He added "who or what has us, and what are they planning to do to their guinea pigs?"

I almost did not want an answer.

Before we could converse any longer, an opening appeared on the wall in front of us; letting in a great deal of blue light that stung my unadjusted eyes. Through it, two humanoids appeared with a figure following close behind.

"Jim?" I questioned as my T'hy'la was towed into the room on a platform exactly the same as ours. However my mate was unresponsive; probably under the influence of a heavy sedative by the look of it; his eyes were fluttering and his breathing heavy as he struggled to awaken.

"What have you done to him?" Leonard asked, concern coating his voice.

The alien who appeared to be female remained silent for now as she moved Jim in our direct line of view. As the blue lighting in the room improved, she turned each table so all three of us could clearly see each other, as if she wanted us too.

"First, the Vulcans logic must be removed if the experiment is to be successful" Her male companion spoke.

She nodded in understanding and walked to the cabinet sitting in the corner of the room. She picked out two objects and handed one to her male partner. It was a long rod with two nobs at one end, almost fork like in appearance but completely alien. As he turned the device on, a stream of electrical activity began to bounce in between the two nobs.

"He's a Vulcan!" I heard the Doctor protesting as the male alien approached me "He needs his lodgical thinking to survive!"

"Try not to move" He ignored the doctor's pleas as he held the device to my temple.

I cringed as a stream of electrical energy entered my brain and shot down my spine. I could feel my emotional control slipping from me till it was no longer within reach. It was beyond my grasp as suddenly full waves of emotion and thought flooded me; both my own… and Jims.

Though he was lingering between two worlds, his fear, pain, and love for me was pushing through barriers that were no longer there and absorbing into my being. Whatever the aliens had done, they had done it very well. I could no longer block anything out; my mind was theirs to tamper with in any way they chose to. The alien finally released his hold on me and lowered the instrument.

"With the Vulcans full capacity to feel, no physical pain will be necessary" He walked to the cabinet and put back the device in favour of something else.

"The emotional distress will be sufficient" She agreed with him "I apologize for what I am about to do, but it is necessary" She took hold of Jim's left hand and encased one of his fingers in the strange instrument she had taken earlier. It was much like the one used to take away my control, except this device did not create electrical charges, and it's fork like end were bladed with a sharp cutting edge.

"Stop" I pleaded; my heart sank as she began to use it to cut into my T'hy'las precious flesh.

Jim struggled against the restraints to no avail as his eyes lit up; I felt the pain rush up his arm and shoot down his back and legs. His brow began to sweat and his body shook as the agony from the instrument over ruled him. His lips parted and his throat rumbled as torture was forced upon him and escaped instinctually through his lungs by the need to howl.

He clenched his teeth tightly together as I sensed he did not want to give them the satisfaction of filing their sadistic appetite. However he could not hold out for long as I heard the bone give way and crunch under pressure.

"Stop!" I pleaded with them to discontinue as the bond between us began to open to a wider spectrum.

However their ears were closed as they went through with the procedure. His emotional and mental distress, his desire to escape but inability to do so, and the frustration that came with it was radiating through the bond and entering me. It was now fully open and functional, no longer was its gate being held closed by my will power. The howl of Jims voice alone was becoming almost too much to bare.

My mouth opened but no sound immerged; a silent scream filled the atmosphere as the alien severed a second finger. My lips hung low as I struggled to breath under the pressure of it all. I had greatly underestimated both my own and Jim's depth of emotion as everything surged through our connection like an electrical storm I could not stop.

In the distance I could hear the doctor yelling and cursing the aliens; begging them to end this insane torture chamber, but they did not give in.

"This one shows much potential; his emotional attachment is great" They merely scanned him with some other device and announced he was 'acceptable' for whatever purpose they were trying to accomplish.

"Indeed" She finally released the hold on Jim "They are prime specimens"

"Spock…"Jim struggled to speak as blood freely flowed from where his fingers had been removed. His shoulders collapsed, his form loosing strength as it was ripped from him. With the inability to stand any longer, he let himself fall and be held up only by his restraints.

Although the pain was great, I knew Jim was more worried about me than he was about himself. I could feel it, amongst many other things he was openly sharing with me. He knew I could feel the pain he felt; despite being the one with the physical injuries, it was not easy for him to be so helpless and watch as his best friend and mate was maltreated before his very eyes. He didn't like knowing that I was suffering though the bond just as much as he was. He wanted desperately to spare me that pain.

"He is sufficient" The male alien was scanning me "The experiment was successful, further tests will not be necessary"

The locks to our bounds were finally released as the aliens put away their devises and withdrew from the room.

I willed myself to step forward in time to catch Jim as he collapsed; no longer being held to the vertical table.

"Jim" I managed to whisper his name as I lay him on the floor and rested his head on my lap "Do not regret our decision to join for the sake of sparing me"

He peered up at me, a weak smile forming on his lips as he reached up with his bloody hand and cupped my face. "I wish I had the strength to spare you the pain" He whispered "But I will never regret bonding with you"

I tried my best to form my lips into a smile as I gently stoked his face and lent down to kiss his forehead.

"Jim" The Doctor knelt next to us "If we manage to get back to the ship, there's a change I could reattach them"

"It appears, the aliens have other plans for us" Jim's eyes looked past mine to the ceiling, where a hatch opened and a white gas was quickly began flooding the room.

"Jim…" I felt him fighting to stay awake, but couldn't muster enough strength to do so. He had no choice but to let the world fade from his view. Dizziness washed over me and soon, everything turned black as I too succumbed to the gas and was paralyzed to sleep once more.

**Montgomery Scott**

"What do you mean 'Return to Starfleet headquarters'?" I was baffled at their willingness to just give up "You can't just expect us to up and leave?"

"That is exactly what we expect from you " The admiral on the other end was beginning to get agitated with my refusal to abandon them.

"Sir, with all due respect, these men are my friends, as well as my commanding officers" I tried to reason with him, but his mind was obviously made up.

"I can sympathise with your position, but with the evidence presented to us, it is obvious what has occurred. I don't like it any more than you do , but there comes a time that every man must accept what has happened" The Admiral seemed sincere enough, but my gut was still telling me something wasn't right about the whole situation.

"Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Doctor McCoy are gone. The five year mission was a failure; the ship will be re-fitted, and in a few years' time, given a new Captain. Those are your orders; I suggest you follow them immediately. Starfleet out" He ended the transmission.

As I turned from the viewing screen, I noticed every eye on the bridge was looking at me. The crew felt the same as I did; none of us wanted to give up and just leave. What if they weren't dead? What if something had happened to them that we hadn't thought of yet? And if they truly were vaporised, why wasn't there a bio signature in the caves?

But, I had my orders, and unfortunately, I had no choice but to follow them.

"Mr. Sulu" I took a deep breath as I sat in the Captains chair, perhaps for the last time "Set coarse for home"


End file.
